Now that you are engaged (Congratulations !), you are thinking about the ideal destination to capture this moment and a wedding abroad has crossed your mind. More and more couples are choosing a destination wedding to highlight the event of a lifetime with a beautiful location. But a destination wedding requires more logistics and coordination than a domestic wedding. And you don’t know where to start and how to plan a destination wedding in France ?
This is the first steps for planning a destination wedding !
What are the benefits of planning a destination wedding ?
First, the destination ! Imagine yourself saying “I do” in front of a breathtaking view ? a gorgeous landscape ? a historical architecture ? It’s an immersive experience of a lifetime that you’ll want to offer to your guests and to be remembered for years to come. Do you know better than to live this experience with all your loved ones gathered in the same place ? Planning a destination wedding often means a week-end wedding. Therefore, it means having the opportunity to fully appreciate the destination you have chosen and more quality time with your guests !
You should consider planning your destination wedding in advance
First of all, you have to think about the touristic season, which can have a major impact on logistics as well as on your transportation, airplanes and accommodation on site. And the sooner you can get started, the sooner your guests can book their time (and airplane tickets) to attend this exceptional day !
But this is not the only reason. The best venues and the wedding vendors are booked early for the high wedding season and if you want the privilege of choosing your dream wedding venue, you should consider planning your destination wedding in advance ! This is especially important after the crisis we have just gone through and the increase in the number of weddings in the coming years.
So start planning your wedding abroad as soon as possible. But when to start planning a destination wedding ? At least a year in advance, and even before, if possible 18 months will give a major advantage to have your dream vendors and dream wedding venue !
Good to know : the wedding season in France is in June and September. July is also a high point on wedding season.
To the question : Do I need a wedding planner for my destination wedding ? The answer is YES !
Planning a Destination Wedding can be tricky
Now that you have selected your destination and date, you should consider hiring a wedding planner before picking a wedding venue and hiring vendors. A Wedding Planner is a great advisor and will find the right wedding venue and wedding vendors that fits YOU. Planning a wedding abroad can be hard to navigate without a wedding partner. Remember this is might be your first time planning a wedding. And a destination one is a pretty big deal !
When planning a destination wedding, you should consider all the logistical aspects of planning a wedding abroad : different time zones, cultural differences, different languages and all the things you need to be physically present for ! Choose a person who will be on site and who is familiar with the vendors and your destination. Trust them to handle all the logistics and execute the planning process seamlessly.
Narrow your contacts to a single one person
With all the vendors included in the production of a wedding, you will want to have a single contact who knows everything about your project, understands the importance of each decision on the final event, and especially when your vendors speak a different language than you and have a different culture. Communication can be tricky ! So narrow your contacts to a single one person who will understand your wishes and needs and fight all the battles by your side on site !
Get the best value for your wedding budget
And just keep in mind, a wedding planner is not there to save you money. No no ! We offer the best value for money ! We are here to help you not waste it. And it seems to have a lot misconceptions about this ! We will produce a realistic budget based on your wishes and needs and will help understand the costs. This budget and your project will evolve over time. We will provide guidance and suggestions on where you could cut back and where you should reallocate to meet your expectations. With our experience, we’ll be able to advise, to think about the repercussions that a simple choice today can have months later on the rest of the planning process. We know what is feasible and can even suggest things that you thought were not possible and that never occurred to you !
So now, it is time to choose a destination wedding planner ! This amazing journey to that day can be fun if you have an amazing team by your side !
How to choose the right destination wedding planner ?
Choose a Destination Wedding Planner who knows your destination
First of all, choose a wedding planner who knows your destination, the culture and who can be on site for you.
If you can travel to your destination wedding location to tour potential venues and attend menu tastings, this is great ! But it is not required and you can rely on your destination wedding planner on site to do it for you ! If you do not have the time to fly out to your destination, we can schedule a video call with you on the venues so you can know exactly where you will be getting married and start to plan and envision the different spaces.
You should not choose a wedding venue online, without having been there and make sure it fits you. In order to create a successful wedding, it is important to understand the different spaces, to see all the logistic challenges we’ll face and to know how to make it all work on your wedding day. Your wedding planner is there to do it for you ! You can’t find everything online, you need someone on site !
A wedding planner will offer travel guidance to help you and your guests plan the trip and make it so much easier ! Moreover, a destination wedding often means a week-end wedding ! You receive multiple events through the week-end like a welcome diner, a farewell brunch, a bridal luncheon, receptions and others. You’ll also appreciate having great ideas about the best activities to do with your guests around your location. This promises quality time with your guests and tailor-made experience !
Be sure your Destination Wedding Planner understand your needs
Before hiring a destination wedding planner, you should definitely talk with them and know if there are the right fit for you. Remember you will spent hours and hours talking with them, and making big decisions together, so you’ll want to make sure you are on the same page. You also need to know if they have well understood your wishes and if they will be able to create that unique wedding you are dreaming of.
And we are completely in line with that ! As a Destination Wedding Planning Agency, we accepts a small number of projects per year to give them all the time and attention needed and provide the best services for our couples. It is therefore very important that we are able to understand them and that our personalities match to give them the best !
We offer 3 complimentary meetings before our couples decide to go forward with us. These 3 complimentary meetings allow us to get to know each other better, to know your project and all your wishes and needs, et to establish a complete Wedding Project Book, all this before signing ! You’ll know if your wishes have been understood and what your wedding will be like with us !
Discover our booking process and the detail of our services.
So ready to begin your planning process with us ? Contact us to schedule your first complimentary call !
Your Destination Wedding with Cher Amour
At Cher Amour, we specialize on destination weddings in Burgundy and Paris, France. These two different locations are offering a multitude of opportunities to celebrate your love.
One can be enchanted just by hearing this word: Paris. However, Paris is first and foremost always the synonym of elegance, glamor and, of course, love. Indeed, Capital of love, you couldn’t choose a better place to say “I do” ! Discover an Intimate Wedding in Paris in our Portfolio.
Burgundy is a beautiful place to celebrate your wedding. The light, the colors, the textures, they all merged as one to create a magical atmosphere. I am sure you will love it ! Not to mention the finest vineyards and the many Michelin star restaurants. A true pleasure for you and your guests.
You can discover 3 amazing venues in Burgundy that I have selected for you in our article.
